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Chapter 54 NEWS
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August 2001
Volume 44, Issue 8 |
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August Gathering will be held on Date: 8/13/2001 Time 7:00 pm Social 7:30 pm Meeting Location: Christ Lutheran Church, Lake Elmo, MN Topic: To Be Announced
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President's Corner |
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GREETINGS FROM OSHKOSH The program has been in existence now for 18 years and the total count
of graduates is over 3,000. That includes the camps for younger cadets and
adults. This year has been one of the most gratifying. We are beginning to
see the fruits of our labors. One of our alumni returned this year as a
crew member on an EA6-B Prowler and brought the entire crew of 4 up for a
visit with our current class. The class enjoyed it very much and asked
some really pertinent questions. It ended up being an hour and a half
question and answer program. Incidentally this is the same airplane and
crew that flew the slot position in the formation of prowlers that did the
fly-by at the all star baseball game in Seattle. They are based at NAS
Whidbey Island, Washington.
---- Bill Schanks
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| Treasurer’s Report:
8/2/2001 Money Market $2,235.33 Operations $ 861.49 Cash $ 25.00 ===================== Total $3,121.82 Collected $120.00 dues. Received a $267.00 refund for Chris Harsling’s EAA Air Academy tuition. Paid $3,500.00 for the last half of our new Building. Paid $341.82 for concrete. Paid $25.00 for a food permit for the Pancake Breakfast. Paid $363.00 for a Building Permit. These numbers do not reflect any Building Fund contributions that Marlon has collected.
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| Chapter
54 Fundraiser Kickoff.
This note was sent two weeks ago to members@eaa54.org. Chapter 54 has an enviable set of characteristics among EAA Chapters.
We have active, involved leaders and members, a great small airport
setting Snail mailed to the same address as donations, or given by phone at 651-748-1448. Thank you for your attention and support. Marlon Gunderson EAA Ch.54 Building Fund Committee member |
| Outstanding
Achievement
This note was sent to members@eaa54.org by Bill Schanks: And speaking of our very own Chapter 54, last night at Theater in the Woods, I had the extreme privilege of accepting the award, Outstanding Achievement for Chapter 54 member Jim Montague. There were 13 recipientsfor this award throughout the entire country. Jim Montague is in good company, right up there with the very best of the very best. A long overdue, well deserved recognition. CONGRATULATIONS JIM! |
| Hangar for rent
This just in from Chapter member Danny Bergstrom: At long last my hangar is almost completed. The floor and aprons are
finished and we have electricity to the main electric panel. I am still
using extension cord to run the hangar doors...but they do go up and down.
The electrician should be done in about 2 weeks. 651-777-2680 kdBergstrom@mmmpcc.org
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| Calendar: August 12 Chapter Pancake Breakfast August 13 Chapter Gathering 7:30pm Lake Elmo's Christ Lutheran Church
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BOEING 307
This was sent by Chapter Member Jim Montague: The Boeing 307 did a flyover at Lake Elmo on Sunday, to impress the folks at Mark Holliday‘s Swift party. This airplane was the world’s first pressurized airliner, and was built just prior to WWII. Designers added a big pressurized fuselage to a B-17 bomber wing. The 307s were very reliable and flew thousands of hours in wartime service. There were only 10 or 11 built, and this is the only survivor. With four big Wright 1820 radials churning, it makes a very impressive fly-by. After the war, they were outdated, and replaced by the newer DC-4’s and DC-6’s and Constellations and Stratocruisers. The Stratocruisers were similar to the Boeing 307, in that they were based on a B-29 bomber wing (with R4360 engines). Charlie Hoover saw it parked at Oshkosh, and even Charlie Hoover (who owns two of the most beautiful polished airplanes in the world) says that the polish job looks good up close.
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| Nick and Marlon’s
Excellent Adventure
As told by Marlon Gunderson Nick Stolley and I headed to Oshkosh Thursday afternoon, July 26. The
flight down was in beautiful blue skies with some scattered small fair
weather cumulus. We flew over Mondovi and refueled in Black River Falls on
the way down. Fisk had their hands full after the airshow and the pipeline
from Ripon to OSH was packed when we arrived at about 7pm. Fisk was asking
about every 4th airplane to return to Ripon and get back in line to get
better separation; fortunately we weren't one of them. We had several
aircraft cut in line in front of us between Ripon and Fisk and even one on
base approach to 36L.
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| Chapter 54
Fundraiser UPDATE
We received this information from Marlon Gunderson of our Chapter’s Building Fund Committee. The current status is:
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| AirVenture - An
education adventure By Art Edhlund There are many justifications for attendance at the Oshkosh AirVenture: close-up looks at interesting aircraft, the latest developments in equipment, the daily air show, story swapping with pilots from everywhere, hundreds of forums on everything aeronautical - technical, humorous, and historic. I realized at this my 28th visit to the Oshkosh AirVenture that my main reason for attendance was to find out things I don't know. There are a lot of things in that category. Some are simple curiosity, some are how to fly better and safer, others are fix-its for old problems. This year I explored a new category, how to help my Chapter. Where better to get this than at the 'head shed.' I am excited about the improvements Chapter 54 has been achieving in the past few years. Capped in 2001 by a permanent 'place'- the club house. So I attended a roundtable discussion at the Chapters office on the flight line on "Clubhouses and Hangars." This was one of 12 roundtables held during the week. While there were only ten participants in my group, the discussion was hosted at five different times during the week. Bill Hanna (whom we met at last years Chapters event) was the discussion leader. There were immediate questions about the implications of the Chapter’s 501c(3) tax status. Bill deferred these questions to another roundtable series specifically on that question. This discussion was intended as a primer on clubhouse and hangars. The other participants ranged from chapters that: all ready own a hangar or clubhouse to those who only have the dream. The first thing considered was WHY? The facility depends on the kind of activities a Chapter engages in, the locale it serves, the size of its membership, and other factors unique to a Chapter. The chapter's mission statements and objectives need to be reviewed thoughtfully to assure that owning a building will be compatible with the chapters long-term direction. A vision "to own a chapter clubhouse" is not properly framed. A better question is "how would owning a clubhouse help meet our vision?" For Chapters populated with many active pilots with many aircraft, aircraft storage and provisions for flight planning should drive the building plan. Other Chapters are focused on aircraft construction and their facility may want to be tailored more around the concepts of a workshop. If providing aviation education dominates a Chapter's activities, classroom features will need to be reflected in its facility. Will the Chapter also sponsor fly-ins and other activities that bring in the public? Most chapters are a mixture of all of the above activities as well as engaging in social and family activities. Four important basic functions are involved in any EAA Chapter: AIRMANSHIP, CRAFTSMANSHIP, CITIZENSHIP, FELLOWSHIP A Chapter's vision and mission will change over time. A Chapter will also discover that owning a building enables new activities it had not engaged in previously. A degree of flexibility should be planned for. The next major topic discussed was: WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE? Once the need and will of the Chapter exists to own a building, a Building Committee should be appointed. This establishes a process and responsibility to translate the Chapter's needs into specific plans and specifications. The Committee should also be charged with overall administration of the project through its completion - a very important group. Give the process sufficient time for ideas to be stimulated: good ideas cannot be scheduled and frequently are the product of bad ideas. Share the alternatives with Chapter membership. Most often, the final plan will end up as a hybrid derived from the features of several different plans. Some Chapters have the good fortune to find a suitable building that can be purchased or donated. Do not overlook the opportunities that an existing building may offer. If the building is serviceable, the Chapter will begin to enjoy the benefits of owning a facility immediately (construction projects take a long time to complete.) Check with local building authorities and get quotes from contractors if necessary. This is a very practical route to acquiring a Chapter building, just try to avoid the bigger surprises that might occur. WHO WILL DO THE WORK? A major factor in the final cost for a facility is the amount of volunteer expertise and labor within the Chapter membership. Many Chapter members will have basic carpentry skills. There may also be members that are capable of doing electrical or mechanical work as well. It's important to assess the skills available within the Chapter membership and their willingness to work on the project cost. There is a downside to the use of Chapter resources. Some phases of a construction project need to follow a fairly disciplined schedule: volunteers are not always available when needed regardless of how willing they may be. Use of volunteer labor should also be understood in the context of local ordinances and building codes. There is much work involved in a construction project and it can extend over a considerable time period. Another potentially negative consideration regarding Chapter volunteer labor is the risk of burnout. The pressure to keep the project moving, get things done and make sure everything is right can impact some conscientious volunteers worse than a regular job. No project is worth losing members - we all joined EAA for fun and the sport of aviation, not to build buildings. Don't overdo or exploit your willing workers. The building committee should perform a thorough assessment of the internal resources of the Chapter membership and develop a project work plan that takes advantage of the expertise and abilities available. Work parties that are well organized can accomplish much of the work involved and also have fun. No organized work schedule, no materials on hand, no supervision or direction all lead to disgruntled volunteers and a project that is at great risk. A Project Manager should be appointed. This person should be responsible to the Building committee (preferably a member.) The Project Manager has day-to-day responsibility for overseeing the project and should be the single-point contact for all interfaces with contractors, inspectors, etc. He should have authority to make detail decisions about the project and be able to make payments. This is not a weekend and evening job. The person appointed should have a degree of personal schedule flexibility and some experience with building projects - anyone who has had a house built is a good candidate. PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK When a general contractor is used for the project, the contractor handles the many permits and inspections, and the process is transparent to the Chapter. If a Chapter assumes responsibility for managing the construction, several reviews, permits and inspections must be obtained. Given the complexities of building codes and local ordinances, this can be a complex and sometimes frustrating task The airport governing body is the first to be consulted and approve the plans. The plans must also be submitted to the local building authority for approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. During construction several inspections will be required. In addition to the construction documentation process, a deed of property lease must be secured and the Chapter-owned facility needs to be properly entered on the tax roles. Generally, as a non-profit corporation, the Chapter should not have to pay property taxes. This may not happen automatically, however. The Chapter may have to appeal to the local tax assessors' office to establish the tax exemption - not a simple task. As the project progresses, insurance should be secured. The value of the asset will increase quickly and should be protected. The EAA Chapter insurance is liability insurance for Chapter activities - it does not cover the physical structure and its contents. HOW TO PAY FOR IT Clearly, the financial assets of the Chapter going into a building project are a major determining factor to proceed. Unless the Chapter has accumulated a significant portion of the money necessary to fund the project, it probably should not proceed. Several options are available to the Chapter to fully fund a project. A mortgage can be obtained from conventional financial institutions. Committing to a long-term financial obligation for the Chapter should not be made without full consultation of the entire Chapter membership. The Chapter should not overlook the potential of a financial arrangement with the local airport authority or FBO. Given all the positive aspects of an EAA facility on the airport, they may be willing to underwrite the project or even build the facility and lease it to the Chapter. Many Chapter members may be willing to make loans to the Chapter to fund the project. These loans may be interest-free or at a lower rate than a commercial loan. This approach can provide significant savings to the Chapter. A pledging campaign will determine how much funding can be secured this way. All member loans to the Chapter should be covered with a written agreement that defines the loan amount, any interest due and the repayment plan. Care should be exercised to not allow member loans to be too large and too long term. If the Chapter owes an individual member a large sum of money or the loan extends over too many years, problems can arise. Donations are another source of money to cover the project. This is especially true if the Chapter has a 501(c)3 tax status. In this case the donation is tax deductible and can be very favorable for the donor. This is an especially fruitful area to explore if contractors, building supply stores and other business can be found who are aviation-minded individuals. An amazing amount of materials and services can be obtained in this manner. Just be certain to acknowledge the donors and maybe throw a "hangar-warming" party on their behalf when the project is done. A few airplane rides will reward a lot of generosity and maybe even net some more members. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ITS DONE? Owning a building will yield many benefits to the Chapter. The Chapter will have a "home" that helps contribute to its identity - both internally and to the external world as well. The Chapter will find it can support many more activities and programs when it has a permanent facility and equipment. More members are likely to join the Chapter as a result. A Chapter building is a key enabler toward meeting many of the Chapters goals and overall mission. However, ownership also creates some new obligations and issues for the Chapter to manage. Owning a building creates on-going expenses for the Chapter: insurance, maintenance and utilities. Establishing a fair rate schedule for leases on hangar or shop space requires some careful analysis. An EAA Chapter is NOT a business. Depending on the building revenues to pay off the mortgage or loans that covered its construction may be in conflict with the Chapter objectives that motivated its construction. A different approach should be used to determine how much to charge. Leasing hangar or shop space is a service to the members. If the rates are too high, it becomes exploitative and they will go elsewhere. Use of the Chapter facility should be a benefit to the members - not a premium. On the other hand, lease rates that are too low and do not help defray the overall expenses of the facility, result in the membership at large subsidizing the tenants. It should also be recognized that the building does provide a benefit to all members and some portion of the on-going building expense is a legitimate charge to the chapters general budget. Obviously the middle ground must be found. Insurance coverage must be maintained - both to protect the Chapter's assets and cover the risks. Again, the EAA Chapter insurance covers the liability associated with chapter activities, and if a Chapter owns a building the rates are higher since the Chapter will inherently have more activities. Fire and casualty insurance must be secured independently. Chapter Hangarkeeper's insurance is also available that provides coverage specific to the storage of aircraft. Who will mow the grass and fix the leaky faucet? Spontaneous volunteers will handle many of the maintenance chores, but a process that identifies work to be done is helpful. Some Chapters appoint a Building Manager to monitor maintenance and keep a "to do" list posted. The EAA has a long standing reputation for sponsoring activities that are noted for their cleanliness. Our EAA facilities need to reflect that same ethic with good maintenance and grounds keeping. Plan for it. This was a very informative discussion with everyone contributing ideas. These notes were taken partly from the discussion guide prepared by Bill Hanna, EAA Chapter Advisory Council, who conducted the roundtable. ----- Art Edhlund
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| EAA Chapter 54 is located at 3275 Manning Ave. N. Suite #7 Lake Elmo, MN 55042 EAA Chapter 54 NEWS Published monthly by Chapter 54 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for the use, education and enjoyment of chapter members and others to whom it is provided. No claim is made for the accuracy of the materials presented. Editorial content is the opinion of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect the policies of Chapter 54 nor the EAA. Submissions for publication are encouraged, and should be sent to :EAA Chapter 54 Editor 3275 Manning Ave. N. Suite #7 Lake Elmo MN 55042. or emailed to: rjwaldron@mmmpcc.org Permission for other EAA Chapters to use portions of this publication
is granted, as long as credit is acknowledged. Officers Bill Schanks 651-645-2420President - FrBilly@EarthLink.net Dan Parker 651-430-1532 Wayne Asp 651-436-6868 Bob Waldron 651-430-9178 Directors Class II Tim Reberg 651-730-8574 Nick Stolley 651-702-9331 Directors Class III Ed Peiffer 651-462-2517 Scott Hutchinson 651-777-1872 Young Eagles Coordinator Flight Advisors: Tech Counselor Newsletter Editor: Bob Waldron 651-430-9178 rjwaldron@mmmpcc.org Visit our WEB site at www.eaa54.org
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